Reviewed by Paul Hiom
Its difficult to describe how good a book is sometimes, but those of you that have an inclination towards music, will know what I mean when I say that every track is a hit. The end result is worth far more to me than the sum of its parts and I recommend this book wholeheartedly as an important piece of angling literature to anyone remotely interested in pike fishing.
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The book in some ways is related to ‘PIKE, The Predator becomes the Prey’, which was co-written by Martyn Page and John Bailey in 1985. It certainly has a similar feel about it, but there is far more to it than calling it a follow up or sequel to. ‘In Pursuit of’ supersedes and takes the reader into the entertaining fishing and attitudes of two well respected and accomplished pike anglers. There is an excellent Foreward by the late Colin Dyson, a fitting prologue and explanatory introduction by Martyn Page.
Much of the fishing in the book is Broadland based, but it is fair to say that the methods and thinking portrayed in the book will provide more than sufficient insight into how you should approach your pike fishing on most waterways around the UK and in Europe. Bert Rozemeijer give the reader some useful information on how to tackle the vast lakes and water systems of Holland.
The book is split into six parts covering some detailed chapters on the varied aspects of deadbaiting, livebaiting and lure fishing (courtesy of Chris Leibbrandt), with an emphasis on keeping your fishing active and enjoyable. The chapter on boatcraft will also prove useful to those who want to get buoyant. More importantly to me, the authors explain some of the more controversial aspects to piking and conservation, which I think anyone would find particularly useful and interesting, especially the sections on livebaiting attitudes, commercial pike waters and the detrimental target driven attitudes towards big fish lists etc.
If I need words of encouragement or wish to get my head around a particular problem or issue concerning pike, I find them in this book. If I need to balance my views or take a long look at the flaws in my own fishing, I flick through to the appropriate pages and the answers are there. If I need to know that I am not alone on this strange and sometimes lonely path, I am reassured by the wisdom of this book. In short, this is my pike fishing bible and I defy you not to enjoy it!
Thank you Vic Bellars and Martyn Page!
PIKE – In Pursuit of ESOX LUCIUS
First Published 1990
ISBN 1 85223 068 1
The Crowood Press Ltd
